Should I Be Nervous About Getting a Gel Manicure?
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Last month, the European Union announced a ban on TPO, or trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, an ingredient commonly found in gel nail polish. The ban went into effect on September 1, prompting lots of chatter online with people wondering if gel polishes were still safe to use. If you’re among them, I’m here to say you’re probably just fine. The studies that led to the ban found that ingesting high amounts of TPO impacted animals’ reproductive systems. In real life, no one is eating gel polish, and there isn’t evidence of TPO absorption through the nail bed.
This hasn’t stopped the E.U. from banning the ingredient, though. This relatively cautious stance has to do with the way the E.U. assesses safety. In anarticle for PBS, cosmetic chemist Dr. Julian Sass noted that when the E.U. looks at an ingredient, if there’s any indication it can be toxic, it’s banned. This is different from how the U.S. evaluates ingredient safety, by factoring in risk and exposure. Because of this, it isn’t likely that TPO will be banned in the U.S. There is a possibility brands will remove the ingredient so they can still sell products in the E.U., though it’s unclear when that would happen or if they’d sell different products in the E.U. and the U.S.
If you do want to avoid TPO, there are lots of gel formulas that are formulated without it. Aprés, a brand that makes the gel nail extensions Aprés Gel X (a service I’ve been getting almost bimonthly for the past six years with a brief break in 2020) also makes TPO-free polishes, as does OPI. If you’re unsure about whether a polish contains it, I’d recommend looking up the ingredients during your next appointment or, if you do your gel manicures at home, checking those bottles.
Below, our favorite polishes and manicure kits, all of which are TPO free.
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This at-home manicure system is a favorite of esthetician Jolie de Feis because it requires a shorter dry time owing to its use of polymers instead of monomers. It’s also shockingly easy to remove, peeling off without the need for acetone or scraping. It doesn’t last as long as a traditional gel set (ten days rather than two weeks), but de Feis says the trade-off is well worth it.
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This kit from Olive & June has similar appeal. The brand’s regular polish is known for being incredibly long-wearing, and the gel promises to wear for up to 21 days. It comes with three polishes and all the tools you need to execute a perfect set, including a nail file, nail clipper, buffer, and the brand’s signature hand-stabilizing Poppy tool.
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Essie Gel Couture has that signature gel-polish shine but applies like regular polish.
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